Escaping the Gravitational Pull of Stress

Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour.  That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back. For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more.  Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.

Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you.

Stress.

It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s been identified as the number one killer of all Americans. At times, stress has a gravitational pull on our lives that is seemingly unescapable. Flares of panic. Pangs of anxiety. Stress drives some to madness, addiction, and others, sadly, even worse.

If you are having difficulty escaping your stress you are damaging both mind and body, your relationship, and your employment, but fortunately there is much we can do to obtain the ever-so-needed escape velocity over our stress and move forward with our lives.

The key to our overcoming the consequences of stress, however, is the identical solution of a rocket seeking to escape the planet’s strong gravitational pull.  Both require an incredible amount of explosive commitment to achieving the result. We are talking sheer brute force and power.  We can’t try; we must commit. We can dabble at it. We must go all in. Buckle-up buttercup, it’s time for liftoff.

Here are 12 stress-busting tips to help you achieve escape velocity:

You’re Blowing It!

You’re Blowing it!

It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.

You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.

You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.

Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.

Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.

Journal Activity for the Start of a New Year or New Venture: Mini Post

Journal Assignment for the start of a new year or venture:

Shoot for about a page or whatever works. Don’t concern yourself with spelling, grammar, or what others might think. Just get it done.

Today is  a three-parter:

1) Make a list of your goals and resolutions for the new year or new venture.  This is a list. Think finances, health, professional, spiritual, family, home, personal, mental, etc.

2) Write a short

What Makes a Good Journal? My thoughts.

I was recently asked about what makes a good journal entry.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Always include the date.
2. Journal entries should be short.
3. You should write frequently, routinely, and almost daily.
4. Do NOT focus on spelling, grammar, or what others might think.
5. Share your successes, failures, concerns, celebrations, defeats, dreams, goals, wishes, accomplishments, plans for world domination, and whatever else may be on your mind.
6. If it is important enough to be written on any scrap of paper it is good enough for your journal
7. Go ahead and

Write it Down.

We write down the groceries we need, gifts to buy at the mall, doctors’ appointments, to-do lists, recipes, directions, car maintenance appointments,  and other things we deem important.

We compose emails, texts, Twitter posts, blogs, and we update our Facebook status with regularity.

Yet, most people choose not to write down their goals, their resolutions, or what they want to accomplish for the year, yet alone their life. They fail to design a plan, or even make a list of where they’d like to go, what they’d they like to have, who they’d like to help, or the person they’d like to become, and then they’re frequently disappointed when life doesn’t deliver their dreams and wishes.

Writing down our goals and resolutions matters. Follow the recipe to create the dish, arrive at the location, assemble the product, complete the course. It really is that simple.

One more… One less…

Run one more mile.

Eat one less donut.

Call your mom one more time each month.

Stay off Facebook one entire day.

Write one more page.

Buy one less extra.

It all comes down to one more or one less to make a significant difference in 2012.  Use some consistency each day, each week, each month, and you will really see progress.

Resolutions don’t have to be huge they need to be consistent. Simple actions compounded can create some dramatic changes.

Imagine weighing twelve pounds less than you do right now next New Year’s Eve. All it would take is a pound a month and some consistency. The same principles can be applied to your finances, projects, goals, and dreams.

Good luck.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

This is the year I resolve to…

The new year offers each of us an opportunity to renew and refresh our lives. It can provide us with an opportunity to look forward and plan new adventures, new goals, and imagine new possibilities. It allows us to forgive ourselves for past mistakes and imagine a new life.

Yes, we can do this at any time in the year, it doesn’t have to be the first of January, but when the calendar turns to a new year there is a genuine feeling of renewal; it is like hitting the reset button on a computer game, or buying a new car.

Many people dismiss the idea of making a resolution. They believe resolutions are a waste of time. And for many it is, because they approach it the wrong way. I see it quite differently. To me resolutions are a part of my life plan. They provide me with direction and purpose.

Should you create a list of resolutions? No question about it. Absolutely! Just make it a “resolution” not something less. A resolution by definition means unwavering. It all comes down to word choice.

For most, it’s not a resolution, it’s a wish. Here are the things I’d like to have happen, but I don’t really want to put anything into it.

A resolution is far different. Here is what I resolve to accomplish. I won’t let anything stand in my way. This is the person I am committed to becoming.

What if I fail? Oh, you will fail, and plenty of times. The person who made a wish quits, and the person who made a resolution tries again. On the same date the following year, everyone that made a resolution is in many ways better off, and those that made wishes are at the same place, or sadly more often worse.

The consistency and discipline needed to

When Leaders Make Mistakes!

Leaders make decisions. It’s what they do.

Each and every time a leader makes a decision they are impacting a life.

Apply the ‘Domino’ or ‘Butterfly’ effect and the number of lives impacted by a leader’s single decision is sometimes mesmerizing.

That is why leaders need to: respond rather than react, seek wisdom, listen to counsel, and reflect frequently.

Once a decision is made, however, it is not final. Leaders must be decisive and firm, but when a poor decision is made, and it happens, it is a leader’s duty to make it right.

I firmly believe that leaders must take the motto “We’ll make it right!” to heart; it’s never too late to right a wrong.

In an earlier post, I  discussed the three steps

Rediscover Advent by Matthew Kelly: A Book Review

Matthew Kelly is one of my favorite authors and speakers. He is a New York Times best-selling author of over fourteen books, a world renowned speaker, and business consultant to more than thirty-five Fortune 500 companies. I am proud to call him a friend and he is certainly an important influence in my life. Last week he sent me a copy of Rediscover Advent. It was the only book of his I haven’t read, and with the stores already decorating and advertising for Christmas, I guess I was ready for a book about ‘The Season’ as well. I am glad I read it early, because there is much I discovered and wish to share with you.

First and foremost, Rediscover Advent is more of a devotional, to be shared during the Advent season, rather than one to be read in a setting or two. At 94 pages it certainly can be read quickly, but that is not its intention. The book is divided into five sections. The first four are devoted to each week of Advent, and the fifth to Christmas Day itself. Each section is broken down for a reading each day complete with Scripture, Meditation, Reflection, and

Would Steve Jobs Consider You a Bozo?

The world is filled with admirers of Steve Jobs, and rightfully so. The man was an incredible visionary, innovator, speaker, businessman, leader, and communicator. His impact has left little untouched.  One overlooked talent though, was his use of simple language to convey his passion for a product or service. How many times did we hear him say, “insanely great, phenomenal, awesome, revolutionary, amazing, and of course magical?“

His word choice was in sync with his passion for minimalism in design and the simple elegance of his presentation. Uncomplicated. Straightforward. Direct. Powerful. The advertisements, stores, packaging, and even his dress embodied this motif.

He chose simple words, but words powerful in their connotations. They were chosen with care. They were delivered with passion. They told a story.

My favorite term Jobs used was when he called someone or their idea a Bozo.

Bozo was a term Steve would use to describe someone that just didn’t get it. A bozo to him was someone that was more interested in the bureaucracy of business rather than innovation. A bozo was someone that was ineffective and someone that wasn’t authentic. A bozo was someone who focused on what wasn’t important. Basically a bozo was anyone Steve didn’t respect.

I recently read an article though about his use of the term bozo at NeXt. According to NeXt employees, you could go from bozo to genius in months if you eventually got it and performed. (Better yet, outperformed.) And I am sure you could probably drop back down again too.

Many think Steve burned bridges, but I don’t think that is the case at all.  Sure, he was competitive and occasionally became upset, but I still remember the shock I had, and later conceded to the brilliance of his move, when he partnered Apple with Microsoft. When you consider all of the deals he made with the record industry, artists, television companies, and publishers, you realize he built far more bridges than he ever burned.

Steve Jobs had standards, incredibly high ones, for himself, his staff, and the corporations he created.  The results speak for themselves. Bozos either don’t have standards or they break them.  Bozos lack vision or don’t follow it. Bozos place business over delivering a quality service or product.

Don’t want Steve Jobs to think you are a bozo? Do the following:

• Be original. Don’t steal the work others. Create. Don’t copy. March to the beat of your own drum.
• Set high standards and hold others to high standards.
• Be prouder of what you didn’t do, than what you did.
• Have a vision. Focus on it and chase it down.
• Understand and emphasize the relationship between product/service and the client.
• Know the story behind why you do what you do.
• Do what you love.
• Give more than you take.

These are just my observations of a man I never met, but a man who impacted my life more than most of those whom I have.

I will work hard not to be a bozo.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825